faithrunner

Kim and I will never be able to put into words what we felt by Legacy Church's actions and words toward us this past Sunday as they honored our twenty years of ministry with them. We truly had no idea that they would do so much to honor us. The gift of the summer sabbatical was more than enough, but the words of encouragement made us feel appreciated and loved. I will let our moments of speechlessness in our tears speak for the depth to which they touched us. My entire family (extended, too) was there , along with friends from what Kim and I call, "The Red River Gang," friends we have stayed connected to since college. Others who had been part of Legacy came to join in the celebration. We were blown away. I believe the day was momentous for all of us. Legacy's reminder of what being a church family really is affirmed God’s call on my life as the pastor of a local church. After twenty years, it is natural to wonder if I should be “doing more,” but Sunday reminded me ...

It's a week from this Saturday that I am riding the Frisco to Ft. Worth MS 150 . We have been training primarily on Sunday evenings at 5:00 from Legacy Church . We have had several from the biking community and the Richardson Bike Mart Team join us on the rides. Really good to join those who are part of Legacy and those in the extended riding community. Here are some pics from last Saturday's training ride to White Rock Lake and back to Legacy Church. (I was in Waco helping Storey and Graham move into their house--more on that in another posting.) Pictured from left to right at the table are: Frank Usnick , John Huber, Keith Giddens , the waiter dude, and Kendall Brown. Part of the "training" was a spot at a restaurant near the lake, but they did have to ride down there and back to eat, so, I think it all evened out. We'll do our last training rides this weekend, and then to the 150 on May 5. IF you would like to make a donation to my ride, click here ,...

The day David, I and 23,000 others ran the Boston Marathon , Cho Seung -Hui shot and killed 33 Virginia Tech students and faculty and then turned a gun on himself. The victims were of different races, ages and from several different countries. They represented the hope we share as Americans. President Bush said on Tuesday, "They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time." I would rather say, "They were in the right place at the wrong time." Those killed, beginning with Emily Hilscher , were where they were supposed to be: in a dorm room or classroom pursuing or guiding others in higher education, which would potentially result in jobs and a better way of life for them all. They were doing the right thing in the right place at the right time according to our cultural values. The only one in the wrong place and the wrong time was Seung -Hui, and that is where the struggle arises for us all. "How can a disturbed student like Seung -Hui stay in sch...

It was not a spectacular finish, but we finished. Wind, rain, and cold hampered our progress, but we ran through it all and enjoyed the post-marathon meal of cheeseburger and fries at a near-by pub. Here's a live action scene from the course (you can see the wonderful weather and wet street!)and David and me at mile 17. Tracy tracked us down on the course, and here is the happy couple . Two years ago it was the second warmest conditions for the marathon and this one had to be among some of the worst conditions...wonder when we'll get the good one? Headed home about noon EDT and will be happy to tell you how we ran it two feet of snow, with hurricane force winds, and uphill all the way...

Spent the afternoon seeing where Tracy Chisum grew up in Wayland. Here's a picture of the house she grew up in. We also rode the route of the marathon. Here's me at the start in Hopkinton and the geese who will be the only ones running in this weather tomorrow!

We made it to Boston Saturday to run the 111 th Boston Marathon on Monday. The weather will definitely be a factor this year and David and I have even wondered if we would run if it turns out like they predict...NOT! How can a member of NTTR ever consider not running 26.2 miles on hard surface when many of us have run twice that far in the mud! So, we are monitoring the weather and looking forward to what tomorrow brings. We had great fish tacos at Picco Restaurant on Tremont Street after we picked up our bib numbers and a long visit at the Sports and Fitness Expo . I left David and Tracy at their hotel and made my way down the Red Line to Quincy where my motel is located. adidas had a wall to write our reason for running. Here's what David and I wrote:

We held our " Leggacy " Easter Egg Hunt at Jasper High School Saturday morning. The weather was more Christmas-like than Easter, but people turned out for the jump houses, face painting, Mr. Vic , popcorn, free food coupons from Chick- fil -a and, of course, the 20,000 eggs scattered over the practice field at JHS . You can tell by the photo the weather did not deter many, and it was a great opportunity for Legacy to connect with our neighbors. I was proud of the "purple shirts" who volunteered and pulled the event off with excellence. We moved most of the activities inside because YES, it snowed a little and it was cold for us Texans! Resurrection Sunday morning was a bit warmer and our celebration of Christ's resurrection was joyous. The highlight of the morning for me was the "two-word parade" of people's witness to the change in their lives through Christ. Be sure and get a video of the service if you missed it. I pray your weekend was fi...